Shenzhen, Indonesia, Sri Lanka on Lonely Planet’s 2019 best places to visit list

‘China’s most innovative city’ ranks with ‘capital of cool’ Copenhagen among publisher’s top cities to see in 2019

Sri Lanka rated for diversity of holiday options, and Kyrgyzstan for ‘amazing independent travel in unspoilt natural beauty’

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Shenzhen at night. Lonely Planet singled out the southern Chinese city’s young people, new cafes, craft beer scene, and new arts district. Photo: Alamy

Published: 7:00am, 23 Oct 2018Updated: 8:02pm, 24 Oct 2018

Where are the best places to travel to next year? If you want a city break, go to “capital of cool” Copenhagen, “China’s most innovative city” Shenzhen or the up-and-coming Novi Sad in Serbia, according to Lonely Planet, which has unveiled its annual Best in Travel lists of the best travel destinations, trends, journeys and experiences to have in the year ahead.

Sri Lanka claimed the top spot in its list of countries to visit in 2019, with Germany and Zimbabwe just behind, while Italy's Piedmont, the Catskills in the USA, and northern Peru topped the list of must-see regions. Egypt’s Southern Nile Valley, Lodz in Poland and the USA’s Great Smoky Mountains were named as the three best-value destinations for 2019.

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“Shenzhen is a city with a futuristic vibe, lots of young people, new cafes, a craft beer scene, a new arts district – there is so much going on there that we feel it's a good time for people to tap into it,” said Matt Philips, destination editor at Lonely Planet.

The establishment of the Museum of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition and V&A Gallery at Design Society, and of a new arts district generally, also contributed to Shenzhen's selection, as did the decision by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) to host the WTA Finals, the most prestigious event on its calendar, at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Centre from October 2019 until 2028.